In the UK, a substantial raft of stringent health and safety rules and regulations are in place to ensure that high-voltage installations across the country are safely maintained and operated at all times. However, the complexity of that task means that many organisations opt to appoint RJ Power to operate and care for these installations on their behalf. Co-Founder and National Sales Director David Pierce spoke with Richard Hagan.
RJPower, based in the United Kingdom, is a leading provider of electrical engineering services for customers with high-voltage electrical distribution systems. Customers are generally private organisations that use high-voltage electricity as the primary supply for their business activities. These include hospitals, universities, government buildings, highways, and border crossings.
The requirement for electricity on these kinds of sites is invariably substantial, with installations ranging from 11,000 to 66,000 volts.
A large number of both statutory and health and safety regulations confer a heavy administrative and practical burden on owners of these installations,
who must ensure that high-voltage fittings are safely maintained and managed. RJ Power makes its highly skilled teams and services available to customers who opt to outsource the operation, maintenance and management of their high-voltage installations to the professionals. The business also offers in-house design capabilities to support its customers’ needs.
“Our organisation delivers the benefits of our experience, knowledge and expertise as primary managers of electrical distribution networks, managing them on behalf of the customer,” explained Co-Founder & National Sales Director David Pierce.
“Our success is due to how we engage with and assist the customer, and in how we maintain and operate those systems.
“We take responsibility for the system on the client’s behalf, maintaining their network and ensuring that it’s safe for the duration of our contract with the client. Contracts typically span one to five years but can occasionally be for the entire lifecycle of the facility.”
Health and safety is at the heart of the RJ Power business, with the message highly visible wherever the team works, and honoured in all activities undertaken.
The company proactively monitors the recording of ‘Close Calls - Near Misses’ each month, enabling its HSQE department to focus on emerging trends and provide any additional support, training, toolbox talks or safety alerts.
High energy growth
Mr Pierce founded RJ Power with his brother, Managing Director Andrew Pierce, and Senior Engineer Carl Krog, in 2016. Today,
the company employ 100 members of staff, delivering a turnover of £17 million.
In the eight years since its establishment, Mr Pierce is quietly proud of the company’s achievements. “We are successful in what we do and, consequently, we have a good reputation in the industry as the pinnacle of engineering excellence. We’re now wellrecognised in the UK as a service provider with a wide spectrum of end-users.”
To ensure fast response times to customer service requests, RJ Power owns a network of strategically located facilities at key nodes countrywide. In addition to
its headquarters in Sevenoaks, Kent, the company owns offices in York, Bristol and, crucially, London – putting RJ Power teams close to its numerous clients in nearby areas, including Canary Wharf.
“It allows us to be on-site within 30 minutes or so; it’s a prime location that enables us to provide fantastic service to our customers,” said Mr Pierce.
In late 2024, RJ Power will open its newest offices in Scotland and the Midlands, putting the company near areas with a high density of built infrastructure and, consequently, several existing and potential clients.
Plugging into milestones
In 2024, the company will wrap up its work on the major Silvertown Tunnel project. The 1.4km twin-bore road tunnel under the Thames will be London’s first new tunnel in over 30 years and carries a total project cost of approximately £2 billion. RJ Power’s scope of work in the project includes a full HV and LV distribution network; full protection, grading, and fault-level design; earthing design; and full project management, amongst other responsibilities, for a contract valued at approximately £3 million.
Mr Pierce pointed to the company’s reputation and relationships as being key in its successful receipt of the work: “The Silvertown project represents the continuation of an existing relationship with the
mechanical and electrical contractor who subcontracted to us. Our engineering skillset and nearby location, as well as our reputation, proved to be crucial to the award.”
RJ Power’s stellar reputation in London received an earlier boost with its successful completion of a project to re-engineer the city’s famous Tower Bridge in 2022. “This project was one of our greatest achievements,” Mr Pierce recalled. “Not because it was the most profitable or had the largest value, but because we were instrumental in the redevelopment of such an iconic site.
“It was a great opportunity for our business to once again shine in London, where we have been fortunate enough to have either developed or helped maintain several buildings and landmarks.”
Powering up relationships
RJ Power’s staff are key to its success, thanks to their high levels of commitment, motivation and, not least of all, their skill. Naturally, its employees are a major priority for the company.
“Staff retention is a key part of our success, and we ensure employees are
looked after,” said Mr Pierce. “We recognise and celebrate effort together as a team and reward staff with the ultimate working environment, including the best tools in the industry, regular training and the latest technology.”
Meanwhile, Mr Pierce highlighted the company’s relationship with UK-based
manufacturer Schneider Electric as another crucial contributor to RJ Power’s success: “We buy from each other, which has opened doors for us and led to a great working relationship. Schneider Electric is a technical, global business with a reputation for high quality. The fact that they see us as a partner further cements our own reputation for high standards.”
In closing, Mr Pierce reflected on the company’s present and future. “We want to continue to be a preferred service provider to the industry, as far and wide as we possibly can,” he concluded. “We hope to grow the business throughout the UK and continue to hire people while being recognised as an honest employer. Above all, we want to continue servicing our customers as and when they require.” n
